Tell us your views on the new professional frameworks

19/12/2018

Save the date to tell us what you think of the new professional frameworks

We’ll be holding engagement events in partnership with the Office of the Chief Social Work Adviser (OCSWA) in February to ask social service employers, workers and others in the sector what they think about the draft professional frameworks for practice for social work and social care.

Full details and booking will be available in January but you can save the date now:

5 February, Edinburgh

14 February, Glasgow

Representatives from OCSWA will give the introduction before separate workshops gather feedback on the social work and social care frameworks for practice. The group will come back together for a summing up and next steps session.

We are also planning engagement for people working in remote and rural areas. We’d welcome your ideas about other ways we can engage with or hear feedback from people about this work, please contact us in the new year at sdsandintegration@sssc.uk.com

Social Care Framework

As part of recommendation 7 of the plan we will develop and deliver a professional framework for practice in social care based on the national qualification framework (Scottish Credit and Qualification Framework). It will set out the range of practice-based learning routes that can support people to enhance their learning and careers in social care and across health services.

Social Work Framework

As part of the same recommendation, we are developing a professional framework for practice in social work to improve the structure, accessibility and provision of high quality, specialist learning for social workers. It will build on the revised Standards in Social Work Education and will include existing specialist awards and the newly qualified social worker (NQSW) standard.

Both frameworks will complement the career pathways work, aligned to recommendation 6 of the plan, which we are also developing.

The social care framework includes the pathway from social care to social work and will support workers and employers with career progression and workforce planning.

The social work framework will support workers and employers to articulate the scope and skills of advanced social work practice.

Draft versions of both frameworks will be ready by the end of January and we will engage with partners to produce the final framework in spring 2019.

Development of enhanced roles within social care and health

We are also working with partners to support enhanced roles which integrate social care and health skills. The resulting skills sets will support staff to provide care in the community as well as integrated health and social care teams. We will carry out this work alongside activity on the social care and social work frameworks to help inform their content. We will complete proposals for the roles in spring 2019.

Developing enhanced career pathways

As part of recommendation 6 of the National Workforce Plan (Part 2) we are developing enhanced career pathways and have gathered and analysed a range of data to allow us to take an evidence-based approach.

This work will build a better shared understanding of current career pathways and progression in social services so we can determine what is working and identify any issues so we can take steps to improve and strengthen entry and progression within the sector. We have been working with partners in Skills Development Scotland, the Scottish Qualifications Authority and the Scottish Funding Council to review the evidence available and will be engaging with other stakeholders to discuss the findings and consider collaborative actions to take.

Feedback from employers is that there is a public perception that work in the sector offers limited opportunities for career progression, particularly compared with other sectors. Providing clear information, advice and support on the range of social service career pathways could help tackle this perception.

We’ve been working to develop an enhanced career website to support the public to learn more about careers in the sector from seeking work in social services or finding out about qualifications available. This website is currently under development and will launch in 2019.

Tell us your views on the new professional frameworks was last modified: January 4th, 2019 by Sandra Wilson